The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Tuesday reported that total electricity generated in the country by the power generation plants in the third quarter of 2021 stood at 8.693 million Megawatts-hour (MWh), down from the quantum of generated electricity in the previous quarter.
The commission gave this figure in its Third Quarter Report 2021 hoisted on its website.
According to the NERC, the total quarterly generation in the quarter under review represented a decrease of 211,903.73MWh (-2.38 per cent) compared to the 8,905,673.76MWh electricity generated in the preceding quarter.
The NERC further stated that although the total generation of Shiroro plant increased by 113,216MWh (+107.58 per cent) during the period under review, generated electricity by Egbin, Okpai and Geregu gas plant declined by 149,379.43MWh (-28.15 per cent), 146,275MWh (52.54 per cent) and 93,808.82MWh (-38.06 per cent) respectively when compared to their electricity generation in Q2, 2021
The commission attributed the decline in operational performance of the power plants in Q3 2021 to the lack of some generating units caused by faults such as oil leakage, high thrust-bearing temperature and high rotor vibration, gas supply shortages and maintenance hiccups.
As part of its initiatives to improve the operational performance of the plants, the NERC hinted that it had “continued consultations with relevant stakeholders to develop lasting solutions to gas supply and other challenges that impede capacity utilisation and ultimately electricity generation in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
“The commission is also working with the System Operator (SO) towards the creation of spinning reserves to improve the grid’s overall frequency stability”, the NERC added.
The commission had earlier promised following consistent system collapse of the power grid in the past months to provide at least 5000MW of electricity to Nigerians starting from July 1.
To achieve the target, the commission stressed that all hands must be on deck to boost electricity generation and supply to electricity consumers, adding that all stakeholders, comprising gas firms, had signed compelling contracts to the effect.
The NERC Chairman, Garba Sanusi, said during a media briefing in Lagos that “although there have been contacts in the past, they were not binding and the parties could decide not to respect them. But with the new approval, we would make sure no party defaults once the contracts are signed. Whoever defaults will be held responsible and will be sanctioned.”
Over the past years, Nigeria has been grappling with inadequate electricity generation and distribution with the attendant negatively implications for productive activities across the broad spectrum of the economy.
Meanwhile, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Monday alerted Lagos electricity consumers that there would be a drop in power supply due to planned annual “preventive maintenance” on the line bay at Lekki Transmission Substation in Lagos.
According to the company, during the maintenance period, about 50MW will be halted, affecting the power supply to Lekki phase 1, Oniru, Elegushi, Waterfront, Igbo Efon, and Twenty-first Century Estate in Lagos state.
It pleaded: “TCN regrets all difficulty this might cause electricity consumers in the affected area.”
